Tech —

Dev seed points to upcoming MacBook Pro updates

A file in the newest build of Mac OS X 10.6.2 alludes to a couple of new …

If you're looking for evidence of new or updated hardware, developer seeds aren't always the worst place to look. Applesfera (translated link), a Spanish language Apple site, has pointed out two .plist files inside of the most recent developer seed of Mac OS X 10.6.2 that reference two MacBook Pro models, 6_1 and 6_2, that have yet to be released. The current pro models of Apple's portable line are 5_2, 5_3, 5_4, and 5_5, all of which were released in June of this year.

The current speculation is that the upgraded models will include a quad-core mobile Intel Core i5 processor or an i7 (a version of the i5 processor can be found in the new iMac that was launched last week). While the i5 seems reasonable, it might take some time and a smaller i7 before it makes its way into Apple's portable line. Remember when two processors seemed like too many for a portable?

It's difficult to predict when an updated MacBook Pro line may launch, but what we do know is that 10.6.2 will probably make its debut very soon. We learned last week that Apple's new Magic Mouse relies on the yet-to-be-released operating system for at least some of its features, and that product currently shows a five- to seven-day lead time.

Apple said they were going to use a lot of air freight to move products up into this quarter. I wouldn't guess that its the iMacs - looking at the parts lists, its likely that all parts have been available in quantity for a while now, save for possibly the monitor which is currently unique.

Likewise, the Clarksfield QC chips should be available in sufficient quantity as well.

Something is up. Apple didn't have an event for the new iMacs, they plan on using a lot of air freight (as opposed to a boat transit time of 2-3 weeks), and there should be significant lead time for laptops and other new PC hardware.

I'm beginning to suspect a big launch of something a week before thanksgiving.

And the 13 inch MBP just was updated to include the back-lit keyboard right (it was only in the 15 when they made the first 13 incher....)? I would expect the i5 or i7 to be in a 15 or 17 inch form factor only at launch...

Well they seem to be doing an 6-8 month product refresh cycle, but a 4 month refresh seems a bit short. Still, yes, the current 13" MacBook Pro doesn't look so hot compared to the new MacBook, and all the iMacs now have a faster processor than any of the stock portables. Kind of hard to pay double the $1199 for a 17" MacBook Pro with a slower processor, same RAM, same HD space, and only a better graphics card, as the base model iMac.

They also better update the Mac Pro ASAP. I was talking about the iMacs this weekend to a couple, who then turned to the Mac Pro, and I had to sit there and say, well you get a slower processor, less RAM, smaller hard drive, and no display for just $500 more. But you can put more HD's in it, and swap out the graphics card! They were not so impressed.

On the desktop, the delineation between i5 and i7 is very simple: i5 has four threads, i7 has eight. (So a dual-core with Hyperthreading would qualify as i5 just the same as a quad-core without Hyperthreading.)

On the mobile front, it's less cut-and-dry. Four threads is enough to qualify as i7, so the current Clarksfield qualifies as quad-core, while the next-generation Arrandale will also qualify, at only dual-core; but Arrandale will *ALSO* be marketed as i5, depending on the exact configuration.

That said, Arrandale isn't scheduled to launch for awhile; so any impending mobile Nehalem will be the quad-core Clarksfield. And HP has had no problem cramming Clarksfield into a 15" MacBook Pro-sized notebook (the Envy 15) which even has the benefit of four DIMM slots. So it, like the iMac, could potentially take up to 16 GB of RAM.

Finally, Clarksfield is a 45W part (55W for the Extreme version,) while Arrandale will be 35W at the high end. Those 10W *MIGHT* be enough to make Apple wait, but I hope they are willing to use the higher-wattage parts sooner. (The current MacBook Pros use 35W Core 2 Duo.

As for the Mac Pro, there is no update available for it yet. All they can do is lower prices. And Intel hasn't lowered prices significantly since the launch of those parts. The next processor for dual-socket will be the six-core Gulftown, due early next year.

The other possibility is a replacement of the single-socket Mac Pro with true desktop-class parts instead of workstation-class. (For example, maybe a P55 chipset and i7-800 series instead of the current 3500 chipset/Xeon 3500-series.)

No, the Clarksfield QC i5/i7 parts don't have integrated graphics on package, and there is no P55 chipset with integrated graphics. A discrete graphics chip is a must with those CPUs - Probably an mobility ATI 4650 or Nvidia 240M GT.

I would estimate that if the MBPs got Clarksfield CPUs, they'd only be 15/17. The 13" would keep its CPUs.

It would also allow Apple to bump CPU speeds for the rest of the MBPs up some, however Intel still isn't cutting prices on C2D mobile chips.

Finally there is the impending release of Nvidia's 9400M successor. Maybe. We don't quite know yet if it will actually come out. But it would be great if it did - I've love a 2.8GHz 13" MBP with twice the graphics horsepower of the 9400M.

I reckon Apple are going on the offensive and are trying to bookend the Windows 7 launch by having many new products. First it was the iMacs, Mac minis, magical mystery mouse and such... then Windows 7 launches, okay, time to release some new MacBooks.

"It's difficult to predict when an updated MacBook Pro line may launch"

What the hell do you mean hard to predict? Every January there is a major Apple event and that event has had refreshes of the Macbook/Powerbook line since at least 2001. They have been known to wedge stuff into the schedule at other points, but major refreshes of all of the Apple lines have been fairly predictable for a long time now.

The i5 and i7 in the iMacs are desktop chips, not laptop parts. Desktop-class electricity usage and heat. Why they are in the 27" iMac only, and they are as far away as possible from the video card.

Also, moving to anything Nehalem equals no Nvidia integrated graphics, so all would need either the on-die graphics Intel is ranting about (which are out in Jan with Westmere at 32nm??) or a dedicated card (fit inside the 13" model).

Updating the chip architecture of the 15" and 17" models only, leaving the 13" on C2D, seems unlikely.

Additional tid-bit: the i5 is quad core (no hyperthreading / 4 threads) w/ dual channel memory, the i7 is quad (hyperthreading/ 8 threads) and triple channel memory. They also have different extents of speed bin jumping available. The i7s are tested up to 4.x ghz, thus allowed a greater extent of turbo-ness.

I think we might see some speed mumps or something small for the holiday. I think they'll wait for westmere though. Apple has totally revamped their design all across the board, in my opinion, for the Nehalem/ Westmere architecture. Ahem, bigger battery for a more hungry chip? All that extra room in the macbook?

I'm intrigued by the idea of a hybrid graphics 13" macbook pro. The idea that the on die-intel graphics might be able to work in unison with the discrete card would be awesome. C'mon mobile 5670!!

Originally posted by Hagen:Doesn't mean they won't stick to a similar timetable.

Wouldn't count on it. Macworld's timing always sucked for Apple. Seriously, product launches a week or two after the big holiday season? I think the only reason they timed product launches with Macworld was because they already had a captive audience set up for them, because financially it doesn't make any sense. Now that they've pulled out of Macworld, I wouldn't look for any product launches before February.

Originally posted by Hagen:"It's difficult to predict when an updated MacBook Pro line may launch"

What the hell do you mean hard to predict? Every January there is a major Apple event and that event has had refreshes of the Macbook/Powerbook line since at least 2001. They have been known to wedge stuff into the schedule at other points, but major refreshes of all of the Apple lines have been fairly predictable for a long time now.

13" Macbook Pro came out in June this year (along with updated 15/17"), announced at WWDC, Apple's other major event. Unibody 15" came out in October 2008. Only product launched for January 2009 was the 17" unibody, which everyone expected anyway, and the macbook 5,1 which was just an update to move it to 9400M.

It wouldn't really surprise me if Apple held off until June, but I'd expect Feb/March. It's a big speed boost, they don't want to push it out too quickly. On the flip side, they may try get it out next month to get it in before christmas. Apple have been known to be first in on Intel's chips in the past (although not their mainstream ones, I guess)